Something Beautiful
by Sakurane
Summary: Jace loves to watch Clary sketch. He loves a lot about her, actually, if only Clary could see all that makes her so special.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own TMI or its characters. This is absolute fluff. That is all.**

&.&.&.&

Jace loved to watch Clary sketch.

Sometimes, she would work on a piece as though she was possessed, and even he had a hard time distracting her. Clary worked with such purpose, like her life depended on it. Jace admired her for that, because she was truly beautiful when she was creating life from nothing.

Clary was hunched over her drawing pad at the head of her bed, some of her hair falling over her face and observing his view, while Jace lounged across the other end. They'd been talking, and making out intermediately, when she'd suddenly been struck by inspiration—the sunset over the spires of a building in the distance, with gothic architecture and stone-walls. Jace had chuckled when it had captured her attention, because he'd known then that he'd lost her.

Her tiny nose scrunched in the most adorable manner, and how she would occasionally bite her top lip in concentration. It took all of his self-control not to claim her mouth at those times. If he'd really tried, he could have interrupted her with a few well-placed kisses or touches, but he'd learned in the past that this was ill-advised. Most of his efforts ended in a firm and indignant scolding from her.

On days like today, he was content to simply watch her fingers work nimbly, smudging and erasing as she went, the shape of her mouth changing with dissatisfaction or pleasure.

After almost two hours, Jace's body finally complained, and he had to move. He shifted closer to her, and the bed creaked. He gathered the stray pieces of hair in his hands and pulled them back behind her tiny ears. He leaned in and said, "How is it coming along, my lovely Picasso?"

She made a sound in between a hum and a grunt, but didn't break her trance. Her fingers were moving even faster than ever, if that was possible, as if she was trying to make an imprint of every single ray of light onto the paper.

Clary always said dismissively that her drawings were nothing compared to her mother's, but Jace begged to differ. Where Jocelyn's drawings were perfect to the tiniest detail, like a photograph, Clary drew with her _heart. _Her sketches could invoke feeling s, like this one, with the sun dipping over a vast and romantic church-like building, making Jace feel _hope. _

She had a gift.

Clary Fray had no self-awareness whatsoever, in Jace's opinion. She had no idea how beautiful and desirable she was. Even now, the sight of her milky white skin on her exposed shoulder was enough to drive him crazy with desire. Clary had never had to try to capture his interest—her very existence enchanted him, no matter what she was doing, no matter how mundane. Even just now, with her fiery hair clipped back by plastic flowers that she'd probably worn since grade school, sweat pants, and a plain lavender shirt, and not an ounce of makeup on her innocent face, Jace felt like he was observing an angel.

They'd had the same conversation many times. Clary would distance herself from him, and he would confront her about it. Sometimes these conversations would end in tears, sometimes with an embrace, but the root of it was always the same.

&.&.&.&

_"I'm always insecure… who wouldn't be with a roman god worthy boyfriend?" Clary said plainly, gesturing across my body in a jerky motion. She couldn't shake the feeling that one day, Jace would come to his senses and see that she really was just gangly, awkward, ordinary Clarissa Fray. That the novelty of her would ware off, and he would find someone more up to his standard. Clary didn't doubt that he loved her now, but couldn't expect Jace to be satisfied with her forever._

_Jace was torn between preening at her compliment and arguing. I wished that I could somehow make her see that she was every bit as heavenly as she thought me to be._

_ "Why can't you just believe me when I say that you're absolutely exquisite?" Her pulled her body into his, and she let him._

_ "Because I'm a realist, Jace."_

_ "I like to think that we were rather romantic together, actually. A bit like Romeo and Juliet, minus the mutual suicide."_

_ She raised her head from his chest and gave him a long look. _

_ "I just… I can't help but feel like this is all too good to be true. I can't believe that I actually got the boy. That he actually loves me back." Girls like me never get the boy, she thought._

_ "You think that I don't feel exactly the same way? I feel fortunate every day that someone as amazing as you actually cares for me… because I know that I'm not an easy man to love, Clary. I question everything. I wonder all the time if you'll find someone better for you, someone kinder and gentler and someone who doesn't devote his life to killing demons." Someone like Simon, Jace thought, but he didn't say this out loud. " I'm surprised that you stuck by me through all this… and now we're here. Together. Finally." Jace said, stroking her hair. Clary's breath caught in her throat, because she never got used to the way that Jace would stare fiercely at her—like she was something precious._

"_Why won't you believe me when I say that you're the most fascinating, wonderful, and brave girl that I've ever met?"_

_ She scoffed. She thought that fascination should be saved for cultured, worldly travelers, or people like Isabelle who were so alluring and striking that boys couldn't help but attach themselves to her. _

_ "I wish that you would see yourself the way that I do." He cradled her face and leaned in, until his lips were mere centimeters from her. "Utterly perfect in every way, shape, and form."_

_ "I'm pretty sure that's how you describe yourself, too." She ribbed._

_ "You're infuriating." He growled, but tightened his hold on her so that she knows that he didn't mean it._

_ "I guess we have that in common." But she was smiling now, her embrace more enthusiastic._

"_If I haven't done enough to assuage your fears of inadequacy, than I guess I'll just have to spend every waking moment of the rest of our lives proving it to you."_

_He kissed her, and they no longer spoke with words, but with caresses._

_ &.&.&.&_

One of Clary's misgivings was that she wasn't as glamorous as Isabelle. She was most comfortable in well-worn, loose jeans and old band t-shirts and flannel, not skin-tight dresses and thigh-high boots. She always looked a bit frazzled, like she spent minutes instead of hours getting ready, and Jace had no complaints.

After all, he preferred her unclothed.

As Clary set aside her spiral sketch book on the desk by the bed, giggling with every compliment and sweet-nothing that he whispered in her ear, his hands sliding along her stomach, he thought that he wasn't doing such a bad job of fulfilling his promise.


	2. The Birthday Part One

**Hello readers! After the amazing reaction to this story, which was originally going to be a one-shot, I've decided to add more chapters—basically whatever comes to my mind involving the Mortal Instruments, it'll end up here. The next installment will be split into two chapters (I repeat, TWO CHAPTERS), but everything will be pretty stand-alone. Without further ado, I do not own any of the characters, blah blah blah.**

**&.&.&.&**

"_If I go hard, let me tell you that is worth it_

_Play the right cards, I ain't afraid to work it_

_Brushing right off, when they say I don't deserve it_

_Hands on my heart, you keep my fire burning"_

_-Jessie J, Wild_

_&.&.&.&_

Clary Fray was fidgeting with anticipation.

She sat in the front seat of Simon's blue van, her fingers tapping on her knees. Alec and Jace were locked in a serious conversation about the demon that they were about to fight, and Isabelle was squashed in between them, an annoyed glare permanently fixed. "This has got to be our dumbest entrance ever. How are we supposed to strike fear in the hearts of our enemies in a mom van?"

"You should consider yourself lucky that you have transportation at all." Simon shot back. "I have a million things that I could be doing instead of being your chauffeur."

Isabelle made a skeptical face. "Like what? Are you missing a session of World of Dungeon Legends?"

Simon got that strange tick on the right side of his mouth that only Isabelle could inspire, now that he had finally stopped mooning over her.

"I think you're mixing up World of Warcraft, Dungeons and Dragons, and League of Legends, Isabelle," Clary said, trying to diffuse the situation. "Simon, thank you for driving. We are grateful, even if _some _people have trouble expressing it."

Isabelle sniffed, and Simon looked slightly mollified.

When they came to a red light, Simon whirled to warn Isabelle, "Don't think I won't turn this car around and take you back to the Institute, so behave!"

"Don't think that you can tell me what to do, you puny little mundane!" "I'll have you know that I've worked out a lot this summer! I am _not puny."_

"Once you get muscles like these," Isabelle hissed venomously, grabbing Jace's bare bicep and squeezing fiercely, "Then I'll stop calling you puny."

Needless to say, the car ride was intensely uncomfortable after that.

Clary missed the noise, even if it was bickering, because now the nervousness and doubt was setting in. She wasn't afraid, exactly, because she'd been looking forward to this moment for many months. Jace had been reluctant to train her at first, but after a significant amount of begging and guilt-tripping, Clary had convinced him that it was best for her to be able to protect herself in case of emergencies. It was in her _blood, _she reminded him. She may have grown up normal in Brooklyn, but she was born of powerful Nephilim parents. She was a Shadowhunter, whether Jace liked it or not, and demons wouldn't wait until she was ready to fight.

Jace had gone about it cruelly at first, hoping to discourage her. She still winced when she remembered the initial bruises she'd gained from those days, when she'd throw everything she'd had at him, and he'd carried her right to the ground. She'd get back up, run at him again, and he'd pinned her without breaking a sweat. He'd been a horrible teacher, berating her every mistake and calling her weak. There were no words he could have said that would hurt her more. The purple splotches on her skin were nothing compared to that.

When Isabelle had seen once of this incidences, she'd been outraged on her behalf, claiming that Jace had gone much too far. She'd taught Clary a rune for easing sore muscles that night, by way of apology for Jace's behavior.

He'd almost succeeded in chasing her away from that life. But then she'd just gotten _angry, _thinking about her mother still being in a coma, and how frightened she'd been when she'd been confronted by Valentine. Clary never wanted to feel that weak again. Jace be damned—if he didn't want to be helpful, she could at least use his body. He wouldn't stop her from learning. No one, least of all Jace, would break her.

She'd returned to training the next week with new vigor, and she'd thought that Jace had been surprised when she'd walked into the training room, with her black sports bra and sweatpants, and a determined glint in her eye. Jace still criticized her, but she didn't want his praise anymore. She'd just wanted to mark that perfect skin of his…

Clary hopped out of the van, her black Doc Martens landing lightly on the ground. She'd refused to wear those thigh high boots again, because they were impractical. She'd dressed for ease of movement this time, with black leggings and a loose maroon tank top, so there was no danger of her flashing anybody this time. She thought that a flash of disappointment had crossed Jace's face when she'd walked down the stairs in such a simple outfit, as if he'd been expecting Isabelle to doll her up again, but it was gone before she could be sure.

She felt for the dagger that was in a sheath on her thigh. It was a holy blade that Jace had given her as a gift when she'd been cleared by the Lightwoods to join them on a hunt. When Jace had pressed it to her hand, she'd immediately felt like it belonged to her, like an extension of her body. The cool hilt calmed her, and made her feel like she was in control.

"It will protect you, even when I can't." Jace had told her, indicating the spiraling runes engraved in the metal, ones that she didn't recognize because they were extremely old. The dagger was called "Luxe", light in latin, and Jace held its twin, "Tenebris". They were said to have been forged at the same time, born from the same mold, and were two halves of the same whole. Maryse had told her that there was a tragic love story behind them, but Jace had dismissed it as romantic drivel.

"You're sure you're ready for this?" Jace asked.

"Are you saying that I'm not?" She snapped back. She was tired of Jace cutting her down at every opportunity, because he wouldn't change her mind.

"Don't be difficult," Jace said. "I know that Maryse and Robert have approved, but you're still so… innocent. So let me ask you again, Clary, are you _sure you're ready for this. _Because once you've taken a life, be that demon or human… once you've plunged a blade into flesh, there's no going back."

"I've never seen you shed a tear for a demon."

"I've also been hunting for many years. I shed my tears a long time ago. Let me tell you something, Clary, but you must promise to never repeat this to anyone—it'll ruin my reputation as a bad-ass," He started in a hushed voice, eyes flitting over to where Isabelle and Alec were piling weapons into a duffel bag, and underneath their clothing.

"When I was about ten, I'd been minor-demon hunting several times—squirming, harmless creatures that did little more than stink up a room. But I was eager to prove myself to the Lightwoods, to make them realize that taking me into their family had been worth the trouble. My confidence was heightened after several successes, but I got a swelled head. I insisted that Maryse and Robert let me go on a more serious mission. When they refused, I went anyway, combing the city until my Sensor detected one in an old house. I busted in there, guns blazing, entirely unprepared. What I found was an old, dotting woman, who looked more likely to offer me cookies than to do me any damage. No matter how much knowledge I'd gained from books, nothing prepared me for facing something that wore the face of a human. I had no choice but to fight it—the demon had known that I was a Shadowhunter right away, and would show no mercy although I was just a boy. In the end, I had to stab it over twenty times—and the demon never once shed its human face. In my mind, and in my nightmares, I'd just murdered an old woman in cold blood. I couldn't sleep for four months. I started suffering from insomnia, but I tried to make sure that Isabelle and Alec didn't notice. I learned how to use a silencing room on my door, so that I wouldn't wake the Lightwood's up with my screaming. To the children, I was just Jace in a worse mood than usual. But Maryse knew—a mother always knows. She helped me get past it." Jace had started to speak very quickly, but stopped himself now. "The point is, Clary, is that you are not invincible. I don't… I don't want to see you as damaged as we are. What makes you who you are is your compassion—that fact that you weren't raised to be a warrior—though you are in your own right," He said hastily, when her eyes narrowed. "I just don't want you to lose what made you so human. So are you _sure _that you're ready?"

Clary paled, but nodded steadily. "I am." She'd been thrust into this world, and had already been tainted by it. At least this time, it was her choice, her own terms.

Jace's golden eyes bore into her. "Then follow me." He walked away with long strides towards Isabelle and Alec, who were already at the door of a large building with several stories, and appeared to be an empty office of some sort.

Clary only hesitated for a moment, then bit her lip and went after him, waving to Simon, who watched them depart with a frown.

Alec used a bolt-cutter to remove the chains from the front door, and wrenched the doors open to reveal a lobby space, devoid of chairs or other furniture.

Alec, Isabelle, and Jace separated in a triangle formation, completely in sync, and Clary suddenly felt clumsy trying to keep up with them. She had no idea who to follow, and so settled on staying close to Isabelle, since she didn't want to prove Jace right about her not being ready.

The Lightwoods moved with practiced ease, all three of them hunters, but Jace the most deadly of them all. She was reminded of when she'd first seen them, appearing like specters at the Pandemonium Club—Isabelle, with her lips tilted in a cruel smile like a scornful goddess…Alec as cold as steel and with the firm stance of a warrior, blue eyes alight.. and Jace, a demon who thrived on chaos and adrenaline and risk. He never looked truly alive unless he was facing mortal peril.

And what would Clary become?

She was not a goddess, a warrior, or a demon. She was just a scared and weak little human, and she now worried that no matter how much training she went through, that basic fact would never change.

Alec gestured for them to go down the hall when they found no demon, and there was only a low hum from the sensor. They found the stairs and went to the second floor, but found no trace there, either.

"You'd think that demons would be considerate enough to skulk on a lower floor." Jace said.

"Jace, shut up." Alec said between gritted teeth.

"I'm just trying to lighten up the mood." Jace said, as if affronted. "You all look like you're walking to your execution."

"That's because some of us actually take this _seriously." _ Isabelle said. "And talk about a poor choice of words—it's like you've jinxed us now."

"Pish-posh—we've got the best good-luck charm anyone could ask for—our very own Clary-Fairy!"

Alec hushed them. "Shhh!"

As much as Clary enjoyed Jace's witty one-liners on the average day, she didn't have the ehart to laugh at them when she was so on edge. Every shadow, ever movement, every door left ajar, made her hand jerk towards the knife strapped to her thigh. She held a crossbow, with silver arrows dipped in holy water (Because vampire and werewolves weren't the only creatures with an aversion to such thing) because Clary was not nearly as strong as Jace or the Lightwoods at hand-to-hand combat.

There was only one more floor in the building.

Once past another flight of stairs, Jace took the lead, kicking open one door at a time on either side of the hallway. They were over half-way down the hall, and there was still no sight of the demon. The sensor, now in Clary's hand, was becoming more active though. The hairs stood up on her arms with foreboding.

"I'd say this demon has the flare for drama," said Jace, but he sounded almost pleased by the fact. The suspense was far from killing him—it was sustaining him.

"You two have a lot in common." Clary muttered, and he must have heard her, since he grinned widely.

And finally, they reached the last room.

"Well, here goes nothing. It's got to be in here, unless it got onto the roof." Jace said. He raised his foot and stomped against the door. It burst open with a bang that made Clary jump.

She expected something to leap out at her, and let out a breath when nothing did. She tightened her grip on her crossbow, though.

They filed in, still in their triangular formation, and Clary fell to the back. The room was empty besides a crappy desk, which must have been too much trouble to move out of the building. The window was covered with a cheap cloth. Clary tucked that bit of information in the back of her mind, because she expected that there was enough sunlight outside to bother the average demon. This room was larger than the others, probably belonging to the Director of the company.

Jace pointed at the piece of furniture, and Alec nodded. Clary assumed that this meant that the demon was probably hiding in the darkest part of the room, which was under the empty desk.

The vibration of the sensor was countered by a shrieking sound from behind the desk. It was so shrill that Clary had to stop herself from covering her ears. With a splintering of wood, a filmy white creature sprung through to top. It resembled a large worm with scales, as long as Clary was tall. Toad-like eyes were becoming visible, one at a time in its neck area, blinking owlishly at them. Its arms were useless at its sides, tentacles replacing its fingers, with bright red suckers.

"What is it?" Clary asked, her nose wrinkling.

"It's a Raum demon." Isabelle said, her confidence wavering for the first time.

"And that means what, exactly?"

"It means that we're in trouble."

The demon was gathering itself, like it was preparing to spring again. Jace brushed in front of her, but she wasn't complaining this time.

Jace told her, "Don't let its pathetic appearance fool you, Clary—Raum demons are _extremely_ fast."

"What Jace is failing to mention is that no Raum has ever been killed before." Alec added.

"Well, there's a first time for everything," Jace said cheerfully, "And if we pull this off, we'll go down in the history books—we'll be legendary!"

Clary didn't have a chance to say anything before a tentacle shot out at his face. He batted it away almost haphazardly with his sword, chopping the end off and leaving it squirming on the floor. Now that Clary could get a closer look, she saw that the sucker was rimmed with needle-sharp teeth.

"You'll have to try better than that, you slimy worm!" He brought his boot down on the severed tentacle with satisfaction.

"We won't want to get too close to that thing. It's burning through the sole of my boot."

Clary raised her crossbow, fighting the tremor in her limbs, and aimed for the Raum's neck. She let the arrow go, but it fell with a useless clatter against its scales. She'd completely missed the eyes.

"Good effort," Isabelle said sarcastically. She curled her whip around its neck and pulled, but the demon gave a shake of its head and sent her sprawling. Alec threw a dagger, but it was met with the same defensive scales. Each time that one of them would throw something, the eyes would close and be covered in impervious scales. It was an endless game or trying to poke the demon, not wanted to get too close for fear of being poisoned, and fending off the tentacles with Isabelle's whip.

"This isn't working, Jace." Isabelle complained.

"It's not too late to run, you know." Alec said. "No one on the Council would think any less of us."

"If you want to run away with your tail between your legs, than by all mean, please do. But _I'm _staying."

"Jace, this is madness! You can't prove yourself by being ridiculous. Your hubris will get us all killed!"

"Just trust me! I haven't—"

Clary, who had maneuvered herself near the window, had attracted the demon's attention. It moved towards her with shocking swiftness, but she was ready. She tore the cloth away from the window and the demon shrank away, several of its tentacles burning to a crisp. She then pulled the trigger of the crossbow before it could gather itself, landing a solid arrow in its head.

Apparently its brain was not its weak spot though.

"Nice shot, Fray!" Jace said.

The demon's eyes were open and blinking furiously. Then nearly a dozen tentacles went out like ribbons in every direction. Clary managed to duck in time, her crossbow knocked from her hands. She dove towards the desk, though it was little protection. Isabelle took out a blade now, though she didn't seem nearly as comfortable with it as she was with her faithful whip, and hacked at the tentacles, but they regenerated seconds later. Alec's wrist had been caught, and Isabelle freed him. Jace looked like he was having the time of his life, slashing left and right at the demon. Unfortunately, he got too close.

The Raum leapt at him, wrapping several tentacles around his middle, and Jace blocked its gaping mouth with his seraph blade. The teeth of the tentacles were biting him occasionally, but to Jace's credit, he only grimaced. He was more concerned about not being tossed into the demon's stomach. Isabelle and Alec were too busy fending off the other limbs of the demons to help him.

Clary, heart pounding in her chest, reached for the Luxe dagger. She peaked over the desk and nearly cried out as she watched Jace struggling.

At this point, her blood was boiling and she gave no thought to the consequences of her hairbrained plan. All she knew was that Jace was in danger.

She crept from behind the desk, and hoped that the demon was suitably distracted by the three other Shadowhunters.

"_Luxe." _Clary whispered. She'd heard Jace and Alec call for the power in the Seraph blades several times, and although the Luxe dagger wasn't a seraph, it felt right. Like maybe it would grant her luck somehow.

She dashed as quickly as she could to the side of the demon, avoiding the tentacles, she plunged the dagger into one of the eyes. There was a bright flash of light, blinding them all, and the demon let out another shriek. Blood and ichor spurted out from the entry point, and after several second of the screeching, the demon's tentacles retracted, and it ceased. Clary stepped away several steps, but it really did seem dead. She went to Jace, never averting her gaze from the Raum.

"How did you know to go for the eyes? Even Alec didn't know about that weakness, and he spends his free time in the library."

"When I opened the curtain, the eyes blinked like they hurt, even when it wasn't in direct sunlight."

"Clever." Alec admitted. "And would you care to explain why your blade suddenly decided to turn into a flashlight?" Suddenly, her legs crumpled beneath her without warning, and Alec slowed her fall.

"Jace!" He called, and Jace halted his examination of the demon carcass and ran to where Clary was slumped in his parabatai's arms.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

Her chest was burning near her collarbone, and she told them as much. Alec shifted the wide strap of her tank top from her shoulder, and found the source of the problem. In the midst of her attacking the demon, its blood had splashed onto her shirt and soaked through.

Her skin was an angry red, with a hole burnt into her skin. It was weeping and looked like it was already infected. From the wound, her veins stood black under her skin.

"That's from the demon's blood." Isabelle said, standing above them. "Look at her hand, too." Sure enough, the hand that had held the scissors was covered in sores as well.

Clary said. "I guess this is why you wear gloves. And here I thought you guys did it to look cool."

"It's a little bit of both." Isabelle said, taking the space not occupied by Jace or Alec. "Leather is sexy." She took out her stele and started to draw loops on the inside of Clary's arms. Jace started to do the same on the other arm.

"You sure do know how to make a girl feel pampered." Clary said, hysteria creeping into her voice. Nothing seemed to be working, her chest still hurt and she could barely feel her hand anymore.

"Try to stay calm, Clary, or you'll force the poison to your heart even quicker." Isabelle said. She turned to Alec and lowered her voice, though Clary could still hear her. "The runes aren't working. This is really dark stuff. We can't handle this ourselves. We need Magnus."

Alec must have agreed, because he gently guided Clary into Jace's embrace, then he jumped up and left the room, mumbling about his cellphone, which he'd left in the van.

"Simon?" Clary inquired with worry, because he did always manage to get into trouble without her.

"He's fine. Now be still," said Isabelle, sounding mildly like a scolding mother.

"Should we try and move her? She can't stay here." Jace asked.

"If we jostle her too much—which I assure you, we will trying to get her down all those stairs—the poison will only spread faster. Magnus can probably get here before we even manage to get to the street. He _is_ magic."

He snapped, "And when did you become a health expert?"

Isabelle sent him a reproachful look. "I've learned a thing or two."

Jace did his best to convey an apology with his expression, and knelt beside Clary, who was watching the exchange. He took her uninjured hand in his, and the grip that she returned was too cold and weak.

"What if he doesn't come?" Jace said without looking up. "He helped Alec, but that was different… you know that a Warlock rarely does something without recompense."

"He _will _come. Magnus would never turn down a request from his blue-eyed angel." She said firmly. "And if he really was so heartless, we would pay him with interest. Promise him your soul or you first born child, I don't know."

"Very funny." Jace returned hollowly. Clary wanted to burst out laughing at their banter, despite the gravity of the situation. This was the family that she come to know and love, not the vicious killers that they pretended to be.

"Clary, don't you dare close your eyes! You can't leave me right now!" Jace's voice wasn't pleading, but a vehement command. Clary thought that he could part the red sea or call down an angel from heaven with that voice. She hadn't even noticed that she'd been drifting off.

He muttered, "This will have to come off," tugging at her shirt lightly.

Although the reaction was terribly inappropriate, a chuckle escaped her lips, along with a bubble of blood, and the taste of copper filled her mouth. The scene was just so similar to the first time that she'd ever seen a ravenor demon, when Jace had saved her from the demon sting, when he'd joked with her about taking his clothes off for her.

He sounded furious, but she suspected it was out of fear. "What's so funny?" He demanded.

"Nothing." She said quietly, her voice strangled as she struggled to breath.

"That was very stupid, Clary." He said, and she wanted to shrink away to nothing. It was hypocritical of him to berate her for being a little reckless, when he did stupid things without a thought for her reaction all the time.

"Is it dead?" She whispered, feeling a hollow pit grow in her stomach.

"That's what you're worried about?" Jace said incredulously. He shook his head. "Yes, you killed it."

"You're not just saying that to appease me—like I did with Alec?" Her head swam for a moment, and she coughed.

"Clary, you know that I'm not one to spare your feelings, ever. The demon is good and dead." He said flatly. His hands are on her shirt now, and he used a knife to cut away the material. Clary's body was hot—so hot—that the touch soothed her, and she tried to focus on that.

"Don't close your eyes." He warned again, snapping in front of her face.

"Okay." She murmured, but her vision was blurring with every breath, a fever coursing through her veins. She supposed that it was a blessing that she wasn't in agony like last time, just very uncomfortable. She doesn't know if this is a good or bad sign.

Jace started rattling off what would be happening to her— that she would lose control of her limbs, that she shouldn't be afraid when the paralysis sets in. That she had to stay awake, and not allow her mind to become inactive. He didn't know what else to say, so he stuck with what he knew, and tried not to dissolve. He couldn't stand seeing Clary like this, especially when he couldn't do anything to help her. Runes could help with the pain, but nothing else.

"Are you—" Her voice wouldn't come this time, her vocal chords suddenly as heavy as rock. It was probably the paralysis that Jace had warned her about. It was unnerving to be a prisoner in her own body.

She'd wanted to ask, _"Are you proud of me?"_

"Don't speak now. You need to conserve your energy." Jace said. But he seemed to read her mind, he leaned closer to her ear. "You did well."

And that was the best praise that she ever could have received.

&.&.&.&

"_If this is a dream, don't open my eyes_

_Am I asleep?_

_No I'm alive_

_I just can't believe that this is my life_

_In my fantasies I'm running wild_

&.&.&.&

**I'm very proud of this chapter—everything turned out much better than I'd expected. Jace's banter is so much fun to work with! But having him worry about Clary is also very interesting to play with, and I hope I did the characters justice. Clary is incredibly strong, but I think she still would kind of want Jace's stamp of approval for a job well done. But maaan, battle scenes are hard, so tell me how I did guys! The description of the demon is based on the one on the shadowhunters wiki about the Raum demon, though it's not exact. Don't be afraid of that review button, I'd love criticism and whatever!**


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